hk market trends report 2015 1h

7/23/2019 HK Market Trends Report 2015 1H

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/hk-market-trends-report-2015-1h 1/36

MARKETTRENDS& SALARYREPORT1H 2015 HONG KONG



3

CONTENTSIntroduction 4

Hong Kong Market Overview

Banking & Financial Services 6

Finance & Accounting 14

Sales & Marketing 16

Supply Chain & Procurement 20

Technology 22

Hong Kong Market Survey Results 27

About Ambition 34



AMBITION – MARKET TRENDS & SALARY REPORT 1H 2015 HONG KONG

4

INTRODUCTION

The year 2014 was a steady rather than aspectacular year in recruitment in HongKong and 2015 promises to be the samealthough it could be derailed by anynumber of economic or political issues.Similarly Hong Kong’s safe haven statuscreates an opportunity for steady growth in

otherwise tough economic conditions.

Whilst economic predictions are beyond the realm of this report,changes in economic conditions change business and consumercondence which in turn affects organisations’ desire to hire,either by adding headcount or improving the quality of their talent, or both. Similarly, individualsalter their risk proles around moving jobs depending on their view of the health of theeconomy, which in turn affects the supply of talent.

There are of course some broader regional and global trends at play that will affect the white-collar recruitment market in Hong Kong.

The emergence of big data, fast data, digital and mobile causing the convergenceof the marketing and technology disciplines.

With big data and fast data coupled with anything digital and mobile emerging as the dominantbusiness trends, it is increasing the demand for individuals with digital marketing and dataanalytics skills, and causing the convergence of the technology and marketing disciplines withinorganisational structures.

The Financial Services sector dominated by risk management and increasingcompliance.

With the continued relocation to lower cost locations of back ofce and middle ofce nanceand operations roles in the investment banks, the focus, as the regulatory sector strengthens,is on hiring Audit and Risk & Compliance roles. In the non-banking nancial services sector, thehedge funds, insurance, and investment management companies continue to add headcountacross the board.

Taditional citmnt – fight to qality – achi mo with lss.

Not withstanding the high demand for specic skill sets in digital and risk and compliance,recruitment in the traditional commercial industry sectors is patchy with hiring in the FMCG,

luxury retail and some areas of manufacturing slow. In other sectors such as Beauty & Skincare,Fashion & Apparel, Construction & Property, Professional and Business Services, hiring activitieswere more robust.



5

Paul Lyons

Co-Founder

In the disciplines in which we recruit - Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain, Accounting andTechnology, we are seeing a “ight to quality” amongst our clients as organisations’ look toupgrade their talent and achieve greater productivity from fewer headcount.

Retention challenges loom

With an ageing workforce and a focus on eCommerce – the domain of the younger generations– we are seeing challenges for organisations’ in retaining their brightest young talent as thetalent pool for this particular sector becomes more competitive.

With recruitment of top talent becoming more difcult, companies are retaining their besttalent through creating a positive culture, rewarding career opportunities and competitiveremuneration packages. Talent retention and attraction will become more challenging andimportant in 2015.

Soft skills in increasing demand

When hiring, it is an ever present requirement from organisations for good communication,negotiation and language skills. They remain difcult to nd and a premium is paid for such skills.

Oall iw on salais gowth

Whilst there will be spikes in demand and therefore premiums in salaries being paid for certainskill sets and sector experience across all industry sectors, there are no underlying imbalances insupply and demand that are pushing general salaries across the board much higher.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of Ambit ionand would be pleased to assist you with specic market or salary advice or assistance withrecruitment within your business.

In addition to our ofces in Hong Kong we can help you recruit across Asia (Singapore, Tokyo,and Kuala Lumpur ), Australia (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane ) and the United Kingdom.

Kind regards,




6

GENERAL BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICES OVERVIEW:Overall, hiring activities have improved compared to

2013. Banks added new headcounts as the general marketsentiment improved and regulatory requirements increased.However, banks continued to face challenges on costs andorganisational restructuring which has put pressure onheadcount controls.

Generally, headcount approvals and salary increases on offers had been more relaxed compared to recent years. Many candidates received multiple job offers in high demands areas (e.g. compliance, internal audit, client-on-boarding).

Year-on-year salary increment is between 4% to 5%, and as some banks are still not able to give muchof an increase for promotions, these mostly falls between 4% to 10% on base salary.The salary increment average range for job changes are as follows:Finance - 10% to 20% Operations – 10% to 20% Internal Audit – 18% to 25% Risk – 18% to 25% Compliance – 20% to 50% Marketing – 10% to 20%

OPERATIONSClint-on-Boading (COB) and Know-yo-Clint (KYC) Most of the COB/ KYC hiring activities at senior level were new openings because a few largeinternational banks expanded their functions. The majority of these were overseas hires due to thelimited pool of well qualied VP level or above candidates in the Hong Kong market. Banks wereseeking VPs who can lead and be hands-on at the same time. Salary increments can be from 30% to40% due to limited number of candidates available.

On the junior to middle level, there is a shortage of COB professionals with 4+ years solid experiencethat are open to the market, with only a few willing to move into the Compliance space versus stayingin Operations. Junior candidates specialising in the COB/KYC functions are aware that their skill setsare in demand and are often on the lookout for better prospects. Asking for 20%+ salary increment iscommon when moving into new positions. Candidates familiar with new regulatory requirement, suchas FATCA are especially in demand.

BANKING &

FINANCIALSERVICES



77

Project ManagementProject Management roles at senior levels had been a mix of long term contracts and permanent.There were a few large scale initiatives (e.g. Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect), regulatoryemphasis, and off-shoring which drove a small increase of recruitment activities. Some ChangeManagement teams in Operations and Finance are now merging with Technology too.

To remain in demand, candidates need to stay exible and well versed in both IT and Operations/Finance skills.

Trade Support / Operations Regulatory ReportingMost hires for this area were for replacement roles (a mix of permanent and contract positions)from Analyst to Associate level within global banks. The emphasis is for candidates with goodcommunication skills and relevant product knowledge in Cash Equity and Equity Derivatives.Candidates with Fixed Income and Settlement experience are increasingly feeling pressured togain more exposure in duties and products in order to stay competitive in the market.

Private Banking / Private Wealth Management OperationsThere was a strong demand for experienced Private Banker Assistants with solid stock tradingexperience and good market/sales analysis skills. Employers place a strong emphasis on languageskills: Mandarin, English, or other Asian language (Japanese, Thai), with uent Mandarin speakersbeing the most in demand to service the growing mainland market.

Trade FinanceThere had been a few movements at the Department Head level for Trade Finance (VP andDirector grade). The challenge was the lack of available candidates in this market because most ofthem tend to be stable and have progressed through the ranks with the same organisation and arenot active job seekers.

There was a moderate level of trade nance hiring activity from the junior to middle levels. Thesewere mostly replacement roles where banks wanted to up-skill their teams in communication,product knowledge and project management.

Overall Operations / Middle Ofce hiring activities have been moderate to low at the senior end asmost of the banks are still looking at operational efciency, off-shoring and function merging, suchas parts of Product Control moving into Middle Ofce and continuous off-shoring activities tolower cost locations. The majority of the vacancies at VP and Director levels were internally lled.

While most of the external hires were at Associate and AVP levels.

InsuranceWe have observed a consistent need in traditional operation roles: customer services, policyadministration, and sales support in bancassurance within insurance companies. Increaseddemand was noted for Business Development professionals with good local GI market knowledgetargeting large caps. Candidates with niche insurance market knowledge such as Trade Credit,Marine, Liability & Property, Employee Benets are difcult to nd thus are always in demand.

RISK MANAGEMENTWe saw an increase in hiring for Front Ofce Risk and Business / Functional line specic roles (suchas in Operations and Risk) in 2014 as banks were committed to add more support in rst andsecond line defence. Some of these roles may sit within the Business Management / COO functionas well as newly created roles and teams being part of the front ofce headcounts. The increase indemands was mostly from investment banking and global markets areas.




8

At the middle to senior level, candidates with experience in operational risk, credit risk, conduct risk,and nancial risk coupled with compliance experience will nd themselves in high demand in thiscompetitive market.

COMPLIANCE

Compliance activities have continued to be busy in 2014 with the majority of the hiring activities inAML related and products specic compliance advisory roles across both investment and private banks.Across the major banking groups (universal banks with diverse banking businesses), there had been astrong focus on hiring AML investigations and AML advisory professionals for new and replacementroles.

Some of the mid-size international banks were also putting in place or building out new AML teamson the ground. The later part of 2013 and earlier 2014 saw a few new regional and country team headchanges across the major banks, resulting in more changes due to team structures being put in place,most activity having happened in the AVP and VP levels. For product specic compliance advisory roles,

the focus for Hong Kong was mostly equities, derivatives, private banking and wealth management.We have also seen a small but increasing demand from banks who added project management teamswithin compliance functions to drive regulatory change initiatives.

Compliance Testing has also been a growing area that is demanding candidates with internal audit oroperational risk skills. Most of these teams were set up one to two years ago and continued to expandin 2014. Many hires were at VP level. This function had been competing for the same pool of internalaudit and operational risk candidates who were already well sought after and in shortage due to theincreasing demand in the internal audit and operational risk functions.

In general, banks have been more open-minded with taking compliance candidates from regulators andspecialist compliance consultancies due to the lack of qualied candidates from direct competitors.

Salaries for compliance jobseekers could easily reach 30% to 50% increase with new job offers.

INTERNAL AUDITInternal audit has been one of the busiest areas in terms of new and replacement hiring activities. Thisis because a couple of large size international banks have been expanding their Internal Audit functionsignicantly across the Asia region and with a few others continuously restructuring their InternalAudit functions. The dominating trend this year had been the subject matter expertise approachwhereby the internal auditors were dedicated to specic functions / business units. Some of the banks

were recruiting subject matter experts who may not have internal audit background but have been indisciplines where they would be auditing.

The shortage of qualied candidates was stressed further by other functions within the banks likeCompliance Testing, Operational Risk and Front Ofce Risks which are also targeting Internal Auditcandidates – these roles are often good alternative considerations for Internal Audit candidates astravel demands are signicantly less and they offer opportunities to move into a new area and gain newexposure. More of the banks are also opening up to hiring candidates directly from Big 4 atsenior levels.

Most of the hiring activities in Internal Audit this year had been at VP and AVP levels with a few atDirectors level and candidates can expect a salary increase between 18% to 25% on base for new jobs inInternal Audit.



9

FINANCE / ACCOUNTINGAt the senior level, Financial Accounting and Product Control was very stable in 2014. There was verylittle activity except for a few department head replacement roles within small to mid-size brokeragesand banks. Other hiring activities in Finance were mainly with the mid-size Chinese banks andbrokerages, with most of the activity at the AVP level. A few banks are moving parts of the productcontrol tasks into middle ofce (merging the teams) and continuously offshoring routine tasks tolower cost locations. In the Tax area, there has been more movement at the senior end (Director / MD level) in 2014 dueto team restructuring. We saw a trend of senior tax professionals from investment banks moving intoother nancial services sectors such as Asset Management, Private Equity, Securities, and Brokerageas well as moving back into the Big 4 sector. Replacements within investment banks have mostly beeninternally lled.

Regulatory reporting remains a focus for many banks who are looking to strengthen their control,

rebuild or upscale their teams to meet more stringent regulatory requirements. Due to headcountissues, some of these banks chose to replace a better calibre team lead who is in a permanent role andthen add contractor headcounts to the team to cope with the tight reporting deadlines. Some bankshave brought back the offshore regulatory reporting function to Hong Kong.

Experienced nance managers for private equity funds continue to be in demand. Clients are alsoopen to hiring strong Big 4 audit managers with fund management specialisation or experienced fundaccountants from fund services companies with relevant private equity client exposure.

Some insurance companies continue to grow their nance teams in both nancial and managementreporting, mostly at AVP / Manager level.

CONTRACTING & TEMPORARY HIRESWe continue to see an increasing demand for contracting and temporary positions due to headcountpressures. Due to some organisational restructuring, a lot of banks turned their admin functionsinto rolling contract positions to minimise costs and headcount. For some functions which are intransition (e.g. moving Product Control to Middle Ofce or merging change project managementteams to Technology, etc), the need for short term contractors also arises.

Hong Kong candidates would still prefer to look for permanent jobs due to job stability, but they havebecome more open and receptive to contract positions to increase market exposure and to avoid

career gaps on their CVs. We also saw a high success rate for strong contract performers who wereconverted to permanent headcounts after 6 to 12 months.




10

Banking & Financial Services

Investment Banking

Job Title Annual Salary Range (HK$)

CFORegional Chief Financial Ofcer 2M+

Country Chief Financial Ofcer 1.6M+

Compliance

Managing Director 2.1M+

Director 1.8M - 2.1M

Vice President 1.1M - 1.7M

Assistant Vice President 720K - 1M

Associate 360K - 660K

Analyst 300K - 420K

Management Reporting / FP & A

Managing Director 2M+Director 1.4M - 1.8M

Vice President 840K - 1.4M

Assistant Vice President 600K - 780K


Analyst 220K - 360K

Product Control

Managing Director 2M+





Analyst 300K - 420K

Regulatory Reporting / Financial Accounting






Analyst 220K - 360K

Tax

Managing Director 2M+Director 1.5M - 1.8M+




Analyst 220K - 360K

Operations (Settlements / Corporate Actions / Treasury)






Analyst 240K - 390K



1111


Operations (Client On-Boarding / KYC Operations )Managing Director 1.8M+




Associate 400K- 520K

Analyst 260K - 420K

Middle Ofce (Trade Support / Sales Support / Client Services)






Analyst 260K - 420K

Project Management






Analyst 250K - 450K

Credit Risk






Analyst 240K - 360K

Market Risk


Director 1.5M - 1.8MVice President 960K - 1.5M



Analyst 300K - 500K

Operational Risk / Internal Control






Analyst 240K - 420K


Investment Banking




12

Private Banking, Asset / Fund Management & other Financial Services


Operations

Director 1.1M+

Senior Manager 720K - 1M

Manager 540K - 720K

Assistant Manager 360K - 540K

Ofcer / Senior Ofcer 144K - 360K


Director 1.2M+

Senior Manager 720K -1.1M

Manager 540K - 720K

Assistant Manager 360K - 540KOfcer / Senior Ofcer 180K - 360K

Management Reporting / FP & A

Director 1.2M+


Manager 540K - 720K



Internal Audit / Risk

Director 1.3M+

Senior Manager 780K - 1.2M

Manager 540K - 780KAssistant Manager 360K - 540K


Compliance

Director 1.3M+


Manager 540K - 780K




Investment Banking


Internal Audit



Vice President 1M - 1.6M



Analyst 300K - 420K



13


Insurance


Operations

Director 1M+


Manager 480K - 660K




Director 1.2M+


Manager 480K - 660K


Ofcer / Senior Ofcer 150K - 350KManagement Reporting / FP & A

Director 1.2M+


Manager 540K - 720K



Tax

Director 1.3M+


Manager 540K - 720K



Internal Audit / Risk

Director 1.3M+


Manager 480K - 780K



Compliance

Director 1.3M+

Senior Manager 780K - 1.2MManager 480K - 780K






14

For the Hong Kong Finance & Accounting job market, thesecond half of 2014, as expected, saw a good demand forqualied accountants at all levels, especially those withexceptional nancial controllership and Greater Chinaexperience. Seeking career advancement and greater jobsecurity were cited as the primary reasons for job changes inthe second half of 2014.

Demand for Financial Planning & Analysis talent stayed strong. These were mostly replacementroles for managerial level in Media, Retail and FMCG with a majority of them focusing on theGreater China market due to continuing business growth. There has also been movementsin multinational companies, mainly among Accounting Managers, Financial Controllers andDirectors running Shared Service Centres for the Asia region.

In the junior to mid-level market, there has been an increasing demand, compared with the rst

half of the year for junior Accounting roles such as Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivables,Billing and Costing. With an increasing level of corporate transaction activities in Hong Kong, thejob market has been buoyant for candidates with transaction advisory experience in in-housecorporate nance functions: Merger & Acquisitions, Project Management and Equity Research.This trend is likely to continue in 2015 and the market sentiment remains strong with morecorporate nance talents moving up the career ladder and taking up more demanding roles.

2014 has seen an increasing number of contract positions , especially towards the end of thenancial year. A lot of companies are discovering the benets of hiring contract staff highlyvaluable, providing a solution to headcount constraints and an immediate source of talent thatcan enrich the organisation with a wealth of experience.

For 2015, it is expected that the job market for Finance & Accounting will continue to beactive, ranging from the junior, newly qualied to the experienced middle management nanceprofessionals. Employers hiring in Finance & Accounting functions will continue to rank relevantexperience, professional qualications and language skills as the top priorities when making theirhiring decisions.

FINANCE &

ACCOUNTING



1515

Finance & Accounting ProfessionalsCommerce & Industry

Job Title Experience Annual Salary Range (HK$)

Audit / Internal Control

Head of Audit 12 - 15 1M - 1.4M

Senior Audit Manager 8 - 10 720K - 1M

Internal Audit Manager 5 - 8 540K - 720K

Internal Auditor 3 - 5 300K - 520K

Financial Accounting

CFO 15+ 1.5M - 2.5M

Finance Director 12 - 15 1.0M - 1.5M

Regional Financial Controller 10 - 12 800K - 1.2M

Financial Controller 8 - 10 720K - 1M

Finance / Accounting Manager 6 - 10 480K - 660K

Financial Accountant 3 - 6 270K - 420KAccounts Payable / Accounts Receivable Accountant Up to 8 years 144K - 348K

Management Accounting

Manager - Management Accounting 8 - 10 540K - 660K

Senior Management Accountant 6 - 8 450K - 540K

Management Accountant 3 - 5 300K - 450K

Planning & Analysis

Head of Planning & Analysis 10 - 12 900K - 1.4M

Financial Planning & Analysis Manager 8 - 10 580K - 720K

Senior Financial Analyst 6 - 8 480K - 580K

Financial Analyst 3 - 6 312K - 480K

Tax

Vice President / Head of Tax 12+ 900K - 1.6M

Tax Manager 8 - 10 540K - 900K

Tax Accountant 3 - 7 300K - 480K

Treasury

Head of Treasury 10 - 12 800K - 1.2M

Treasury Manager 8 - 10 540K - 800K

Treasury Accountant 4 - 8 240K - 540K




16

The second half of 2014 proved to be a strong one in terms ofrecruitment across sales and marketing functions. Businessescontinued to invest in human capital and the vibe remainspositive for nearly all industry sectors.

The consumer sector showed great momentum with many retail and FMCG brands activelyseeking talent, especially at the middle management level. E-commerce remains a core strategyfor many luxury and retail businesses, not only because of an increasing cost base, but drivenby more tech-savvy consumers with different purchasing patterns. The overall consumer

market also displayed positive signs as companies continue to recruit in anticipation of goodmarket conditions. Marketers with specialised skills in digital marketing and social media will ndthemselves in high demand. It is also worth noting that many consumer brands have increasedheadcounts in CRM as they increasingly see the importance of customer retention and loyalty.

Professional services sectors also shared similar market sentiment. International law rms expectto see strong results closing 2014 and project an even better 2015. As a result , candidates withnew business development experience will be highly sought after. The creative industry however,will be facing another challenging year. Many advertising and full-service marketing agencies willstruggle to meet nancial goals in 2014. With competition growing and razor-thin margin, manycandidates on the agency side are looking for opportunities to crossover to working for brand

owners.

Other industries such as construction, building materials and related sectors also experienceda busy year in terms of talent acquisition. Driven by a high volume of residential, commercialand infrastructure projects in Hong Kong and in Mainland China, demand for high calibre salesprofessionals increased signicantly, especially in the latter part of 2014.

The biggest challenge businesses face is a limited pool of quality candidates. Companies with arelatively lengthy recruitment process, will risk losing candidates to competitors who are able tomake hiring decisions swiftly and decisively. Some companies are using creative ways to shorten

interview processes and seeing great benets from doing so. Overall we expect this positivemomentum to carry through to the rst two quarters of 2015 where recruitment activity willremain strong.

We did not see a high demand in hiring for marketing professionals within the banking sector.There were still a few banks recruiting marketing professionals on long term contracts rather thanpermanent positions. Within the banks, newly created marketing roles were mostly business /products specic. There were also some demands for media relations candidates.

Within nancial services, we saw an increased demand for digital marketing, online marketing andweb content management professionals. Talent in these areas are still limited thus employers may

need to consider other marketing candidates from journalism, corporate communications, andat times even from the technology eld where candidates have a strong background with onlinetools, statistical systems and a strong interest to do marketing work.

SALES & MARKETING



1717

Sales & MarketingBanking & Financial Services


Marketing Director 15+ 1.4M - 2M+

VP, Marketing 12+ 780K - 1.3M

AVP / Manager Marketing 6 - 10 540K - 720K

Associate / Assistant Marketing Manager 3 - 5 240K - 480K

Head of Corporate Communications / Affairs 15+ 1.3M - 1.8M+

VP, Corporate Communications / Affairs 12+ 720K - 1.2M

AVP / Manager Corporate Communications / Affairs 6 - 10 480K - 720K

Associate / Assistant Corporate Communications Manager 3 - 5 240K - 480K

Head of Events 15+ 1.1M - 1.5M+

VP Events 12+ 660K - 1M

AVP / Manager Events 6 - 10 480K - 600K

Event Specialist 3 - 5 240K - 420KVP Media Relations 6 - 10 720K - 1.3M

Head of Market Research / Business Intelligence 15+ 1.2M - 1.7M+

Market Research / Business Intelligence Manager 6 - 10 600K - 900K

Commerce & Industry


Broadcasting / Entertainment

Vice President / Marketing Director 15+ 1M - 1.5M

Associate Director 10+ 720K - 1M

Marketing Manager 5 - 10 420K - 720K

Vice President / Director, Distribution 12+ 1M - 1.5M

Associate Director, Distribution 10+ 720K - 1M

Distribution Manager 6 - 8 420K - 650K

Vice President / Director, Advertising Sales 15+ 800k - 1.5M

Associate Director, Sales 10+ 720K - 1M

Sales Manager 8+ 480K - 720K

Programming Manager 5 - 8 300K - 540K

FMCG

General Manager 15+ 1.5M+

Sales Director 12+ 910K - 1.5M

Sales Manager 8+ 520K - 720KKey Account Manager 6 - 8 390K - 520K

Assistant Key Account Manager 3 - 5 260K - 360K

Marketing Director 15+ 910K - 1.5M

Marketing Manager 10+ 540K - 750K

Assistant Marketing Manager 6 - 8 390K - 520K

Senior Brand Manager 7 - 10 650K - 910K

Brand Manager 5 - 8 360K - 480K

Assistant Brand Manager 3 - 5 300K - 350K

Category Manager 5 - 8 300K - 420K

Assistant Category Manager 3 - 5 240K - 300K

Product Manager 5 - 8 360K - 480K

Assistant Product Manager 3 - 5 300K - 350K

Trade Marketing Manager 5 - 8 390K - 520K

Assistant Trade Marketing Manager 3 - 5 300K - 360K




18

Sales & MarketingCommerce & Industry


IT / Telecommunications

Managing Director 15+ 1.8M+

*Head of Sales 15+ 1.6M - 1.8M

*Sales/Business Development Director 10 - 15+ 1M - 1.5M

*Sales Manager 6 - 8+ 540K - 800K+

*Account Manager 3 - 5 400 - 600K

Head of Marketing 15+ 1M - 1.5M

Marketing Director 10 - 15 800K - 1M


Assistant Marketing Manager 6+ 350K - 420K

Channel Manager 4 - 6 300K - 400K

Product Manager 3 - 5 300K - 400KSocial Media Manager 5 - 8 520K - 650K

Sales Operation Manager 8 - 10 325K - 400K

Professional Services

Marketing Director 15+ 1M - 1.5M

Marketing Manager 6 - 8+ 480K - 720K

Corporate Communications Manager 5 - 8 480K - 720K

Business Development Director 15+ 1.2M - 2M

Business Development Manager 6 - 8+ 600K - 960K

Business Development/Marketing Executive 3 - 5 300K - 600K

PR Manager 6 - 8+ 450K - 720K

Media/Publishing

Chief Editor 12+ 900K - 1.3M

Editor 3 - 6 300K - 480K

Circulation Director 15+ 900K - 1.2M

Circulation Marketing Manager 6 - 8 420K - 650K

Circulation Sales Manager 6 - 8 420K - 700K

Advertising Sales Director 15+ 1M - 1.3M

Advertising Sales Manager 6 - 8 400K - 660K

Client/Customer Service Manager 4 - 6 300K - 420K

Account Manager 4 - 6 300K - 450K

Industrial & Manufacturing General Manager 15+ 1M - 1.3M

Sales/Business Development Director 10 - 15 800K - 1M

Business Development Manager 8 - 10 650K - 800K

Sales Manager 6 - 8 480K - 660K

Sales Executive/Sales Engineer 3 240K - 360K

Marketing/Communications Director 10 - 15 800K - 1M

Product Marketing Manager 8 - 10 650K - 800K

Product Marketing Engineer 3 - 5 240K - 360K


Marketing Executive 3 - 5 250K - 420K

Project Manager 6 - 10 520K - 715K

Project Engineer 3 - 5 325K - 455K

Technical Ofcer 3 - 5 260K - 325K

Technical Manager 6 - 10 455K - 546K



1919

Sales & MarketingCommerce & Industry


Retail

Head of Marketing 15+ 1M - 1.5M


Assistant Marketing Manager 5 - 8 300K - 500K


Brand Manger 6 - 10+ 650K - 900K

Senior Brand Manager 4 - 6 450K - 520K

PR Manager 5 - 8 360K - 650K

Assistant PR Manager 3 - 5 250K - 360K

Merchandising / Buying Manager 8+ 650K - 910K

Digital Marketing Director 10 - 15 1M - 1.5M

Digital Marketing Manager 6+ 480K - 720KCRM Director 10 - 15 910K - 1.5M

CRM Manager 8+ 650K - 910K

Retail Operations Manager 8+ 650K - 910K

Assistant Retail Operations Manager 6 - 8 360K - 480K

Area Manager 5+ 360K - 480K

Store Manager 3+ 140K - 360K

Advertising Agency

Group Managing Director 20+ 1.5M - 2M+

Managing Director 15+ 1.2M - 1.5M

Business Director 12+ 960K - 1.2M

Client Services Director 12+ 960K - 1.2MStrategic Planning Director 12+ 850K - 1.2M

Group Account Director 10+ 720K - 850K

Account Director 6 - 8 480K - 720K

Account Manager 5+ 300K - 420K

PR Agency

Managing Director 20 1.5M+

Director / Group Account Director 15+ 1M - 1.5M

Account Director 6 - 8 480K - 720K

Account Manager 5+ 300K - 420K

Online

Sales Director 15+ 1M+

Sales Manager 8+ 600K - 840K



Property & Real Estate

Head of Leasing 15+ 1.2M+

Senior Leasing Manager 12 - 15 800K - 1.2M

Leasing Manager 8 - 10 600K - 800K

Assistant Leasing Manager 6 - 8 420K - 600K

Senior Leasing Ofcer 3 - 5 300K - 420K

Head of Marketing/Communications 15+ 1.2M+Marketing/Communications Director 12 - 15 900K - 1.1M

Senior Marketing/Communications Manager 10 - 12 720K - 900K

Marketing/Communications Manager 8 - 10 480K - 720K

Assistant Marketing/Communications Manager 6 - 8 360K - 420K

Senior Marketing/Communications Ofcer 3 - 5 300K - 360K




20

SUPPLY CHAIN &

PROCUREMENTTrends across the Supply Chain & Procurement sectorscontinued in a similar fashion compared to the rst half of 2014.Entry and middle level candidates tend to seek opportunities

with companies within the retail, luxury and FMCG sectors where they see great potential in career development as well

as structured training having more emphasis.

Experienced candidates at the executive level expressed concerns about limitations on careeradvancement as many businesses have strategically relocated leadership positons out of HongKong into cities like Singapore and Shanghai, where they nd a higher level of empowermentand accountability.

Electronics, manufacturing and 3rd party logistics’ providers faced difculties attracting andretaining talent as candidates leave for other industries that exhibit greater potential for growthand development. The retail and luxury sectors are facing very different challenges, such aslengthy interview processes and high expectations of candidates, which often lead to positionsbeing vacant for months and at times over a year.

When assessing suitability of candidates, employers will rst look for relevant industryexperience, but emphasis will also be put on stability and cultural t. That said, we have seenmore cases where employers hire based on transferable skills and the candidates’ potential.

We project 2015 to be another promising year where recruitment activity wil l continue to bestrong and businesses will further invest in human capital. Learning and development will beanother area of focus for many businesses as they see the value and benet of upgrading staffthrough internal training and organic growth rather than hiring talent externally.



21

Supply Chain & ProcurementCommerce & Industry


Supply Chain Years of experience Annual Salary Range (HK$)

Head of Supply Chain 18+ 1.2M - 1.6M+

Regional Supply Chain Director/VP 15+ 1M - 1.2M

Supply Chain Director/VP 12+ 650K - 1M

Supply Chain Manager 8 - 12 455K - 650K

Assistant Supply Chain Manager 6 - 8 364K - 455K

Senior Supply/Demand Planner 4 - 6 350K - 390K

Supply/Demand Planner 3 - 5 260K - 364K

Logistics / Warehouse / Operations

Head of Logsitics/Warehouse Operations 18+ 1.2M - 1.5+

Regional Director/VP 15+ 910K - 1.1M

Director/VP 12+ 715K - 910KRegional Manager 7 - 10 520K - 650K

Manager 5 - 8 350K - 455K

Assistant Manager 3 - 5 240K - 325K

Senior Ofcer 2 - 3 195K - 230K

Procurement

CPO 17+ 1.8M - 2M+

Director/VP 12 - 17 1.2M - 1.8M

Senior Manager 9 - 12 900K - 1.2M

Manager 7 - 10 560K - 900K

Assistant Manager 3 - 6 336K - 560K

Ofcer 1 - 5 210K - 336K




22

TechnologyBanking & Financial Services Professionals


Business Change

IT Director (ED – MD) 15+ 1.8M - 2.5M

Program Manager (VP-D) 15+ 1M - 1.5M

Project Manager 6- 10+ 750K - 1M

Senior Project Manager 10+ 1M - 1.2M

Project Director 15+ 1.3M - 1.5M

Senior Business Analyst 8 - 10 700K - 1M

Business Analyst 4 450K - 650K

Application Development

Application Development Manager 10 - 15 750K - 1.1M

Lead Analyst Programmer 5 - 10 500K - 800KAnalyst Programmer 3 - 5 350K - 550K

Analyst Programmer 1 - 3 220K - 350K

Architect - Applications, Solutions, Systems, Data(VP-SVP) 12 - 18 800K - 1.2M

Database Administrator 3 - 5 480K - 600K


C++/Java 6 - 15 240K - 720K

.Net 6 - 15 240K - 720K

RDBMS developer/DBA 6 - 15 240K - 720K

Within Banking & Financial Services in 2014 there have beenquite a number of good openings in the market, for exampleInfrastructure Technology Services, Technical Business / System

Analyst, Information Security management, Security ServicesIntegration, Information Risk Management and ApplicationNetworking roles.

Going into 2015, we believe the above mentioned roles will continue to be in demand. Inanticipation of that, the Technology team has strengthened its ranks with seasoned consultantswhose professional experience and relationships will be crucial in developing the bankingtechnology business.

TECHNOLOGYBANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICES



23

TechnologyBanking & Financial Services Professionals


Infrastructure / Network

Infrastructure Director (ED-MD) 15+ 1.5M - 2.4M

Infrastructure Manager (SVP-ED) 10 - 15 900K - 1.5M

Infrastructure Architect (VP-SVP) 6 - 15 600K - 1M

Network Architect 8 - 10+ 700K - 1M

Network Engineer 5 - 8 500K - 800K

Network Support - 1st/2nd level 3 - 5 360K - 500K

Network Support - 1st/2nd level 1 - 3 240K - 360K

Systems administrator 4 - 8 400K - 600K

3rd line support 5 - 10 350K - 550K

Security Director (SVP-ED) 15+ 900K - 1.5M

Security Manager (VP-SVP) 8 - 15 600K - 1MSecurity Architect (VP-SVP) 4 - 8 600K - 1M

Security Analyst 4 - 10 260K - 450K

Database

Senior/ Database Administrator 5 - 7 380K - 500K

Data Warehousing/ BI Specialist 7 - 10 500K - 650K

Data Architect 10 - 15 800K - 1M

Data Centre Project Manager 12 - 15 850K - 1.3M



Helpdesk Support

1st Level Helpdesk Analyst 1 - 3 220K - 350K

1st Level Helpdesk Analyst 3 - 5 350K - 550K

2nd Level Desktop Support Analyst 1 - 3 300K - 400K

2nd Level Desktop Support Analyst 3 - 5 380K - 500K

3rd Level Support Analyst 5 - 8 500K - 620K

Unix Administrator 3 - 6 500K - 650K

Network Administrator 3 - 6 500K - 750K

Helpdesk Manager 8 - 12 750K - 950K

Trading systems support 6 - 15 450K - 900K




24

Technology

Commerce & Industry


Business Change

Chief Information Ofcer 15+ 1.5M - 2.5M

IT Director 15+ 1.2M+

Program Manager/ Director 12 - 15 800K - 1.2M

Senior/ IT Manager 10 - 12 720K - 840K

Senior/ Project Manager 10 - 15 480K - 840K

Senior/ Business Analyst 5 - 8 360K - 720K

Technical Consultant 6 - 8 480K - 600K

Pre/ Post-sales Consultant 5 - 8 360K - 600K

Application Development

Solution/ Applications/ Systems Architect 12+ 480K - 960K

System/ Application Development Manager 9+ 480K - 840K

System Analyst 6+ 336K - 480K

Analyst Programmer 4 - 6 300K - 360K

Senior/ Programmer 0 - 4 144K - 288K

RDBMS developer/DBA 4 - 10 200K - 660K

In the commerce and industry sectors, hot roles such as AnalystProgrammer, Web Developer, Enterprise Application Manager,IT Analyst, IT Project Manager, Senior Developer, Head of ITinfrastructure and Infrastructure specialist are in demand.Whereas within IT vendors companies, Pre Sales, ArchitectSolutions, and Sales related positions are also in demand.

There are also quite a number of small IT startup companiesexpanding their teams in APAC with regional ofces inHong Kong.

In general for 2014, the trend for technology recruitment was very active with a slowdown inthe third quarter of the year. To continue our success and quality ser vice delivery into 2015, ourrecruitment consultants will be focusing on developing and maintaining our network and clientrelationships in the technology business.

TECHNOLOGYCOMMERCE & INDUSTRY



2525

Notes to salary tables:

1. Titles and levels var y from organisation to organisation.

2. The Salary Ranges given are only approximate guides. For tailored salary advice, please contact us directly.

3. 12 month base salaries are assumed.

4. All other benets and bonuses are in addition to these gures.

5. Bonus ranges can vary signicantly from company to company and will be inuenced by market conditions,

business and individual per formances. Bonuses range from 1 month at the low end to 100%+ at the upper.

6. Holiday entitlements range from 12 - 25 days with senior executives not usual ly receiving less than 18 days.

Less than 15 is very rare and 20 days is becoming the norm.

7. Healthcare policies are standard.

8. Pension plans vary with some companies offering greater than the standard contribution. Top up schemes can

increase employer contribution levels as much as 15-20 percent of the base salary for senior executives.

TechnologyCommerce & Industry


Infrastructure

Infrastructure Director 10+ 1M - 1.8M

Senior/ Infrastructure Manager 8+ 480K - 800K

Infrastructure/ Network Architect 10+ 720K - 1.2M

Infrastructure Analyst/ System Specialist 6+ 300K - 420K

Senior/ Network Engineer 4 - 7 300K - 540K

Senior/ System Engineer 2 - 5 240K - 420K

Security Manager/ Consultant 8+ 600K - 900K

Security Analyst 4 - 5 360K - 480K

Database / Data Centre

Senior/ Database Administrator 5+ 360K - 480K

Data Warehousing/ BI Specialist 7+ 480K - 600KData Architect 10+ 720K - 960K

Data Centre Project Manager 12+ 840K - 1.2M

Support

IT Support - 1st tier 0 - 3 180K - 276K

IT Support - 2nd tier 2 - 5 204K - 324K

IT Support - 3rd tier 5+ 324K - 396K

Helpdesk Manager 8+ 540K - 600K

Senior/ System Administrator 5+ 288K - 400K

Senior/ Network Administrator 5+ 360K - 480K

Testing

QA engineer 1 - 3 216K - 300K

Testing Manager 8+ 540K - 780K



AMBITION

MARKETSURVEY

1H 2015




28

AMBITION – MArKeT SurveY 1H 2015 HONG KONG

BENEFITS & REMUNERATION

WHAT ARE YOUR BONUS PAYOUT

EXPECTATIONS (FOR THE YEAR 2014) IN 2015?Bonus payout expectations in % Salary increment expectations in %

Above

20%

Between11% - 20%

Between6% - 10%

Lessthan 5%

0%

21.29% 16.31%

14.72%

27.97%

19.70%

WHAT ARE YOUR SALARY INCREMENT

EXPECTATIONS IN 2015?

3 - 5%8.47%

12.18%

11.23%

51.27%

16.84%

1 - 2%

6 - 10%

10% >

0%

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST

IMPORTANT FACTOR THAT WILL AFFECT

YOUR BONUS FIGURES?

Current EconomicClimate 11.33%

Relationshipwith Supervisor 7.31%

Tenure of Role 2.33%

WHY DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD GET

A SALARY INCREMENT IN 2015?

Individual WorkPerformance 47.88%

Positive CompanyResults 36.89%

Expecting apromotion 6.86%

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO GET YOU A GOOD SALARY INCREMENT?

Make a Career Switch

Working Long Hours

63.35% 25.64% 0.64%10.38%

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE PAID IN LINE WITH THE MARKET RATE?

23.83%

40.15%

36.02%

Yes

No

I don’t knowthe market rate

CompanyPerformance 61.65%

Individual WorkPerformance 17.37%

I haven’t receivedany in recent years 8.38%

Changing Jobs

Get a Promotion



29

CAREER

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR CURRENT JOB?

Communicationwith Management 5.05%

Your Manager 9.17%

Scope of Work 35.67%

CompanyCulture 16.63%

Career Progression9.75%

Remuneration 10.89%

Staff Benefits 12.84%

WHAT DO YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT YOUR CURRENT JOB?

Staff Benefits 12.50%

Lack of

Career Progression 26.83%

Lack ofCommunicationwith Management

5.85%Scope of Work 13.65%

CompanyCulture 22.82% Remuneration 8.94%

Your Manager 9.40%

WHICH QUESTION DO YOU FIND THE HARDEST

TO ANSWER DURING AN INTERVIEW?What are yourstrengths andweaknesses?

9.06%

My Age 3.67%Why I leftmy previous jobs? 17.09%

Talk about yourbiggest success/ achievementsin life?

14.11%

Do I believe inwork-life balance? 5.85%

27.41%Where do yousee yourself in 5years time?

None at all. 22.82%

DO YOU WISH TO FURTHER YOUR STUDIES?IF SO, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO PURSUE?

No, I don’t wish to pursue my studies.

Yes, I wish to pursue my degree.

Yes, I wish to pursue my PHD/Doctorate

43.12% 27.64% 3.33%19.95% 5.96%

Yes, I wish to pursue my Masters.

Yes, I wish to pursue a relevant course/diploma.




30

WORKPLACE CONDITIONS & DIVERSITY

I don’t work long hours Because my colleagues worklong hours

For a promotion and pay raise

Because my boss workslong hours

Heavy workload It’s the company culture

WHAT ARE THE REASONS THAT YOU WORK LONG HOURS?

%70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

27.03%

57.18%

4.31%

5.86%4.31%

1.32%

WHAT LOWERS YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

IN THE OFFICE?

Slow Network/

Technology System

27.51%

Long

Meetings

59.69%

Social

Media

8.73%

HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR LUNCH HOUR?

I always eat a my desk while working

Going to the gym/working out

Sometimes I eat out

48.21% 32.78% 0.96%3.83%14.23%

Attending Meetings


Smoke

Breaks

1.91%

Office Layout

& Settings

12.32%

Chatty

Colleagues

20.93%

I always eat out



31

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MAIN BENEFIT OF WORKPLACE DIVERSITY?

WORKPLACE CONDITIONS & DIVERSITY

DOES YOUR COMPANY PROMOTE AND

PRACTISE WORKPLACE DIVERSITY IN ITS HIRING PROCESS?

40.58%

30.03%29.39% Yes No

I don’t know

DO YOU BELIEVE MORE CAN BE DONE WITHIN YOUR

ORGANISATION TO SUPPORT WORKPLACE DIVERSITY?

31.93%68.07%

YES NO

Learning about other cultures

Diverse perspectives

and ideas at work

Projecting a global image and

reputation of the organisation

All of the above

None

%

60

50

40

30

20

10

09.29%

30.15%

45.93%

5.22%9.41%




32


ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA

DO YOU BRING UP WORK ISSUES

ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES

(ETC FACEBOOK, TWITTER)?

12.14%

Yes, I dobut

selectively

1.33%

Yes, I doon

everything

86.53%

No, I don’tat all

HAVE YOUR EVER CHANGED YOUR

IMPRESSION(S) OF YOUR COLLEAGUE(S) BASED

ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES?

21.24%16.87%

25.61%36.29%

No, not at all

Yes, I have

I don’t care

I don’t addcolleagues on mypersonal socialnetworks

HOW OFTEN DO YOU ACCESSYOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

DURING OFFICE HOURS?

13.59%

5 to 10times

7.77%

More than10 times

78.64%

Once to 3times

DO YOU GO ONTO YOUR SOCIALMEDIA ACCOUNTS DURING

OFFICE HOURS?

57.52%

42.48%

YES

NO

HOW DO THE EMPLOYEES IN YOUR ORGANISATION

COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER THE MOST?

61.17%

Email

Social Media

Office Communicator

Phone

Intranet6.26%

12.26%

17.62%

2.68%



33

I would considera contract roleany time

MARKET

ARE YOU WAITING FOR YOUR BONUS PAYOUT

AND/OR PAY INCREMENT BEFORE YOU START

YOUR JOB SEARCH?

I don’t intend toswitch jobs

17.70%

No 23.76%

I have alreadystarted lookingfor a new job

23.64%

Yes 34.90%

DO YOU THINK YOUR COMPANY UPDATES ITS

STAFF SUFFICIENTLY AND FREQUENTLY ENOUGH

ON COMPANY MATTERS/PERFORMANCE?

42.95%57.05%

YES NO

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU FEEL YOUR

CAREER HAS COME TO A STANDSTILL?

Take up a relevantcourse to upgrade myself

30.20%

Do nothing andhope it will improve

6.31%

Make a careerswitch

41.96%

Take some timeoff work for arefreshed start

21.53%

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO RELOCATE

TO FURTHER YOUR CAREER?

WOULD YOU CONSIDER A

CONTRACT/TEMPORARY JOB?

China 22.90%

Malaysia 10.15%

USA 25.62%

Australia 31.68%

19.55%

59.03%18.32%

3.09%

WHAT IS THE MAIN REASON YOU WOULD RESIGN

OR HAVE PREVIOUSLY RESIGNED FROM YOUR JOB?

Company culture misfitt

Poor relationship with Manager

Limited flexible working hours

Dissatisfaction with salary No or insufficient training

and development

Lower than expected bonus

37.13% 5.20%20.42% 1.61%3.71%18.07% 13.86%

No career progression

Hong Kong 41.58%

Europe 29.33%

Only when Ireally can’t get apermanent role

I prefer contractroles overpermanent roles

I would never takeon a contract/temporary role




3434

ABOUT

AMBITIONAmbition is a leading global boutique recruitment business listedon the Australian Securities Exchange.

With coverage across Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo,Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and London. We specialise withinthe areas of Banking & Financial Services, Finance & Accounting,

Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain & Procurement, and Technology.We are best known for specialisation with in-depth knowledgeand expertise, well-established networks and deep relationships.

What makes us different We believe our size is a signicant differentiator in the recruitment industry. We are big enough toundertake large scale projects for our clients, yet small enough to retain the soul and personalityof a smaller company.

We work relentlessly to reinforce our purpose and culture and believe passionately that no one inthe company is too small to make a difference.

As a global boutique recruitment business, our ofces are extremely closely connected.Our management structure is geared towards facilitating communication between ofces andour processes and technology go further to support this connection. Ultimately, this means weare well placed to source the hardest to nd candidates and to extend client relationships to ourinternational ofce network.

For more information, please visit www.ambition.com.hk

Get Social

Ambition are committed to driving innovation and have a strong social media presence allowingus to interact and engage through videos, whitepapers, surveys, webinars, trends and blogs viaLinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.



3535

NOTES



Hong Kong

Level 25, 28 Hennessy Road, Hong Kong

BUILDING

BETTERFUTURES.

hk market trends report 2015 1h

Documents